The good ol’ days provided simpler times when it was enough to tell your client that their product contained hydrating honey, soothing aloe, cooling cucumber, and revitalizing carrot extract. Relying on anecdotal properties of ingredients, while failing to understand or interpret the scientific data behind ingredient activity and product performance, can put an aesthetician at a serious disadvantage in today’s fast paced, information-laden climate. Even…

We have come a long way since the first vanishing creams promised to protect the skin from the elements such as chapping winds and sooty breezes. Today’s consumer expectations of product performance and benefits have become more complex than ever and product developers are responding to these expectations by formulating multifunctional products as well as targeted, specialized treatments for specific areas of the skin. New…

Chamomile is the name given to several species of herbs with fine, feathery leaves and daisy-like flowers. There are two plants most commonly distilled for their essential oils including Roman chamomile (Chamaemeleum nobile or Anthemis nobilis) and German chamomile (Matricaria recutita). The therapeutic and psychological properties of their respective oils, while not identical, are quite similar.

Hormones are signaling chemicals released by cells within an organism that lead to a wide variety of reactions. They are transported from a cell (or gland) to tissues nearby, or carried to another part of the body through the blood stream to interact with a specific receptor. There are different types of hormones and their internal actions often lead to outward effects in the skin.…